Seeking

Intro

We’re starting a brand new teaching series called, The Greatest Story ever told

It’s Christmastime!

all this happens because Christmas is really based on the greatest story ever told.

God coming to earth.

Over the next few weeks we’re going to look at elements of this story and the implications for our lives today.

Matthew 2:1–2

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.

I love this part of the story about the wise men.

It’s only recounted in the gospel of Matthew.

It’s shrouded in so much mystery and intrigue.

Are these magi, are they wise me (some translations say), were they kings, were there 3,

where east were they from, what is frankincense and myrrh, how did they notice a star and say well let’s just follow it...

But we can actually learn a lot from this group as they went looking for the new born king Jesus.

The magi refers to a group that tracks all the way to a group of people called the Chaldeans from the 10th century BC.

They lived looking at the stars.

they thought all of the answers were in the sky.

We do still have some things from them today.

360 degree circile. 28 day lunar calendar, 60 second minuste...

They were searching for something. Answers. Meaning.

They were smart, clever but lost.

The chaldeans were eventually absorbed by the empire known as the Babylonians.

Their beliefs were shaped by them.

In the 6th century BC Jerusalem, God’s people, fell to Babylon under a king name Nebuchadnezzar, who was a Chaldean.

Babylon had wise men and astrologers to help them rule and make decisions.

the king had a dream that disturbed him and non of the astrologers could tell him what it meant, but there was a Jewish boy named Daniel that heard from God and could interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

He said what you are searching for can’t be found in the stars only in God.

After Daniel interprets the dream for the king of Babylon, he gets promoted.

Daniel 2:48 (NIV)

Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.

Daniel, a man of God, was not in charge of this group of wise men also known as magi.

he would have no doubt influenced and shaped their thinking about the stars.

Daniel wouldn’t known about the star prophecy from the book of numbers.

Numbers 24:17 (NIV)

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob;

a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.

An ancient biblical prophecy about one coming to save the people. A messiah.

In Daniel chapter nine, God gave Daniel a dream that was a prophecy of the King that would save the world with a timeline of when it would happen.

We know is that this group wasn’t just blindly searching a random star hoping to find something.

they were certain. they were seeking.

They knew exactly what they were looking for,

they came looking for a King.

That is part of the story.

Christmas is a story of seeking.

After about 500 years, they looked to the sky and saw the sign that was foretold.

Can you image!?!

they weren’t searching, they were seeking.

The difference is subtle, but it matters.

Searching has uncertainty.

maybe I’ll find something maybe I won’t, not quite sure what I’m searching for or where to search...

Seeking has has a higher intent and certainty, I know what it is, I know it’s there and I’m going after it.

They were seeking out the king they knew had been born.

They loaded the caravan, the gathered the gold, frankincense and myrrh, and set out.

knowing and fully expecting to find a king.

God is still looking for seekers.

Jeremiah 29:11–13 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

God sent Jesus to be found!

Can you imagine their dismay when they get to Jerusalem, ask for the King and they had no clue what they were talking about.

Matthew 2:3–8 (NIV)

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Gods own people weren’t even looking for him.

they were having to search.

they were having to search and scramble, is there anything to this...

DON’T BE A SEARCHER, BE A SEEKER

Most people are still just searching.

Still looking for something.

Looking somewhere to hopefully discover meaning, purpose, fulfillment.

Searching from something to fill that place that we know is missing, but don’t really know what it is.

So we search...

Often we even come to Jesus searching him and not seeking him.

We can come to with this posture... maybe he is it. maybe he is king. He could be the answer.

Maybe this is the way, unsure. I’ll try, but also looking to other things as well.

Like Daniel explained to Nebuchadnezzar, it’s can’t be found out there somewhere. All of the answers and longings are only found in him.

You are called to be a seeker.

A seeker is in a constant journey of going after, growing in and pursuing.

The answer to our souls longing is only found in Jesus, it’s time we leave the searching behind.

The wise men found people in Jerusalem who had stopped seeking god.

When we aren’t seeking Jesus we’re left searching for something.

Have you found yourself searching?

Stop the search and start to seek. It’s found in him.

Seeking requires moving.

The wise men loaded up, left where they were from to pursue and find the King.

They wouldn’t have found him if they had stayed where they were.

OH look, that’s cool. its the star. Hopefully we’ll hear something...

James 4:8 (NIV)

Come near to God and he will come near to you...

We can sometimes think it’s the other way around.

If God would just meet me where I am, give me all I need...

WE draw near to him.

It’s moving from where I am.

My comfort, my desires, my expectations and moving closer to him.

If they really wanted to see the king, they had to move from where they were he was.

How many times when you’re wanting to see something different in life and all of the excuses come up??!?

Im ready to lost weight but its kinda cold today so I think I’ll stay in bed a little longer, I have to finish the package of cookies we bought...

I’m going to start saving, right after this sale is over.

The tension to stay in the same place is strong.

I want to see him in my life, but I really want to give up that part.

I’d love to see real godly community, but I’m really don’t want to make the move to connect with others and be seen.

I’m just so busy, I don’t think he can use me, If only you knew my past, you don’t know my hurt....

so many things keep us staying instead of seeking.

WE have to move from living in proximity to our problems and excuses, to stepping out and living in proximity to our promise.

The enemy does not want you to get desperate enough to see Jesus and make a move!

Herod stayed where he was, searching.

The wise men left to seek and found him.

Seeking means moving.

You WILL find. He WILL come near.

SEEKING ISN’T FINISHED AT FINDING

We all remember hide and seek.

The point it that one person looks and others are hiding. You want to find everyone hiding.

When you’re hiding you don’t want to be found.

But it can get weird... it’s not fun if you aren’t found.

Do you just stay under the kitchen sink.. waiting.

Only to come out later as everyones laughing and eating dinner. They quit looking and forgot all about you.

But we know, in hide and seek, the game is over when you find.

It’s a tragedy when we seek Jesus the same way.

After we find him, we quit seeking.

Matthew 2:9–11 (NIV)

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

When they finally found Jesus, it wasn’t just a transaction.

Ok cool, here you go. let’s go home...

No, their response was they bowed and worshipped.

They gave of themselves.

They showed up as foreigners, but became worshippers.

They were changed.

Truly seeking Jesus really begins when we find him!

We can’t stop seeking.

He’s too good, there’s too much to discover, too much to uncover.

There are so many depths of breakthrough and freedom and purpose were longing for that we forfeit if we stop seeking him.

I wonder with all of the excess we have, information at our fingertips, the culture we are immersed in if it’s caused us to stop really seeking his kingdom and him as king.

He’s worth giving everything!

It’s so easy for life to distract and we stop the seek. We have to stay seekers!

CONCLUSION

Christmas is a story of seeking.

God is looking for those who will seek him.

Are you still searching?

have you been staying?

have you quit seeking?

Let this season be a reminder, all we need is found in him.

He’s worth seeking with our whole lives.